Snowden reporter promises retaliation over detention

Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, right, and his partner David Miranda, are shown together at an unknown location. Miranda, the partner of Greenwald, a journalist who received leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, was detained for nearly nine hours Sunday under anti-terror legislation at Heathrow Airport, triggering claims that authorities are trying to interfere with reporting on the issue. (AP Photo/Janine Gibson, the Guardian)

RIO DE JANEIRO » An American journalist who has written stories based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden said today he'll publish with more fervor after British authorities detained his partner.

London police detained David Miranda, who is in a civil union with reporter Glenn Greenwald, under anti-terror legislation at Heathrow Airport in London airport Sunday. Miranda arrived today in Rio de Janeiro, where he lives with Greenwald.

A defiant Greenwald promised he was going "to write much more aggressively than before" about government snooping.

"I'm going to publish many more things about England, as well," he said in Portuguese at Rio's international airport when Miranda arrived. "I have many documents about England's espionage system, and now my focus will be there, too. I think they'll regret what they've done."

In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the U.S. government was tipped off by U.K. counterparts that Miranda would be detained, but that the U.S. had not requested the action. The Brazilian government objected to Miranda's detention, saying it wasn't based on any real threat.

Miranda said he wasn't threatened while detained at Heathrow, but confirmed that personal objects were taken from him.

"I stayed in a room, there were six different agents, entering and leaving, who spoke with me," he said. "They asked questions about my whole life, about everything. They took my computer, video game, cellphone, memory thumb drives, everything."

In London, a British lawmaker called for police to explain why Miranda had been detained and why it took nearly nine hours to question him.

Miranda was held for nearly the maximum time that British authorities are allowed to detain individuals under the Terrorism Act's Schedule 7, which authorizes security agencies to stop and question people at borders.

Keith Vaz, chairman of Parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee, told the BBC, that "you have a complaint from Mr. Greenwald and the Brazilian government — they indeed have said they are concerned at the use of terrorism legislation for something that does not appear to relate to terrorism. So it needs to be clarified, and clarified quickly."

Vaz said it was "extraordinary" that police knew that Miranda was Greenwald's partner and that the authorities were targeting partners of people involved in Snowden's disclosures.

The case drew the ire of rights groups.

"It's incredible that Miranda was considered to be a terrorist suspect," said David Mepham, the U.K. director at Human Rights Watch. "On the contrary, his detention looks intended to intimidate Greenwald and other journalists who report on surveillance abuses."

Britain's laws are not unique. U.S. customs officials can search the electronic devices of anyone entering the U.S. without a search warrant. According to a 2011 internal Homeland Security Department report, officers at the border can search the devices and in some cases hold on to them for weeks or months. The DHS has said such searches help law enforcement detect child pornographers or terrorists.

Greenwald has written about NSA surveillance programs based on files disclosed by Snowden, who now has temporary asylum in Russia. The Obama administration wants Snowden sent back to the United States to be tried for the leaks.

Miranda, a 28-year-old university student, was traveling home to Brazil after visiting Germany, where he met with Laura Poitras, a U.S. filmmaker who has worked with Greenwald on the NSA stories.

British police acknowledged that they had detained a 28-year-old man at 8:05 a.m. He was released at 5 p.m. without being arrested, the Metropolitan Police Service said. They have not commented further. The British Home Office didn't comment.

A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said that "Schedule 7 forms an essential part of the U.K.'s border security arrangements," but added that it was for the police to decide "when it is necessary and proportionate to use these powers."

Brazil's Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota and his U.K. counterpart William Hague spoke by phone today, Britain's embassy in Brasilia said in a statement.

"They agreed that Brazilian and U.K. officials will remain in contact on this issue. This remains an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police," British Ambassador Alex Ellis said in an emailed statement.

The Guardian newspaper reported it paid for Miranda's flights but said that he was not an employee of the newspaper.

"As Glenn Greenwald's partner, he often assists him in his work," the newspaper said in statement. "We would normally reimburse the expenses of someone aiding a reporter in such circumstances."

In an email today to The Associated Press, Greenwald said he needed material from Poitras for stories he was working on with her relating to the NSA, and that he had things that she needed.

"David, since he was in Berlin, helped with that exchange," Greenwald wrote.

Greenwald didn't specify what material Miranda may have been carrying. He said that only he and Poitras "have copies of the full archives of NSA documents which Snowden gave to journalists."

David Anderson, Britain's official independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said he had asked authorities to explain why Miranda was detained and held for so long.

In most cases, those questioned under Schedule 7 are detained for less than an hour.

"It is such a wide power that it would be surprising if it was used perfectly on every occasion," Anderson told the BBC. "It is a very extensive power and this just points up the need to have it properly controlled."

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kraid808wrote:

It appears our anti-terror laws are designed primarily to be used against citizens, but not terrorists. Every now and then a Boston Marathon bombing is allowed to happen to remind the citizens why we need these laws. As a result, the government is allowed to harass and intimidate who they choose in the name of national security. Or is it national insecurity?

on August 19,2013 | 06:49AM

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scooterswrote:

Foolish comment

on August 19,2013 | 10:31AM

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HLOEWENwrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on August 19,2013 | 10:42AM

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aomohoawrote:

Wonderful quote!

on August 19,2013 | 04:44PM

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HLOEWENwrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on August 19,2013 | 10:39AM

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nuuanusamwrote:

I suggest you to go to a country like China or Russia and live there for a year; then you'll know what 'government control' really is.

on August 19,2013 | 10:58AM

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aomohoawrote:

Our is just more secretive!

on August 19,2013 | 04:46PM

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aomohoawrote:

Unfortunately the government is also in control of the media. You better read the news from other nations if you want the truth.

on August 19,2013 | 04:46PM

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aomohoawrote:

Excellent comment!

on August 19,2013 | 04:43PM

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localguywrote:

I smell the embarrassed and discredited NSA behind this, trying to harass innocent people just because they think they can, similar to NYC blocked "Stop and Frisk" law. Look for more security documents to be released to embarrass the brits, just retaliation. NSA can't get over what their pure incompetence allowed to happen. That and all the new releases showing they have been lying to everyone about how they monitor phone calls, etc. Yes, they lie, cheat, and steal then say just doing their job. Now they are running like roaches exposed to bright light. Losers at the NSA, waste of money.

on August 19,2013 | 07:17AM

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scooterswrote:

Foolish comment

on August 19,2013 | 10:31AM

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aomohoawrote:

You are the fool! A naive fool!

on August 19,2013 | 04:47PM

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sloturlewrote:

the people have power and the people will win

on August 19,2013 | 07:57AM

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cojefwrote:

Ahhh! the plot thickens and more intrigue emerging on the extent NSA can amass information without impunity. If NSA has a hand in the curent detention incident in England of Greenwald"s friend, then they are digging bigger hole for themselves. On the other side of the coin, who else would instigate such a brazen action?? What other American agency is is complicit? Has "Big Brother" gotten too big for its britches?

on August 19,2013 | 08:15AM

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Bdpapawrote:

What a crock! These 2 guys are like pampered immature pippies. They think their personal life is worth more than the over all safety of the US. I don't care about their relationship or personal life. Grow up and move on with your life. If you are not doing anything wrong, no one will bother you. But if you do something wrong, oh well!

on August 19,2013 | 08:23AM

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saveparadisewrote:

I'm with you on this one Bdpapa. These two should be considered foreign spies. They risk national security and the safety of every American for what? Fame and glory? It's all about attention getting. Send 007 over there to take them out.

on August 19,2013 | 08:35AM

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aomohoawrote:

Your freedom might be next. The government will be controlling your every move someday.

on August 19,2013 | 09:10AM

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scooterswrote:

Foolish comment

on August 19,2013 | 10:32AM

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aomohoawrote:

Is that all you've got? You are ignorant and naive.

on August 19,2013 | 04:48PM

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DRDwrote:

I agree Bdpapa. Everyone is so brave about the ideal of personal freedom until something happens that threatens themselves, their family or someone close to them. But memories are short and even the tragedy of Sept 11th has not conditioned Americans for the need to do what's necessary to prevent another incident.

on August 19,2013 | 08:58AM

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ellinaskyrtwrote:

BDpapa, saveparadie & DRD-- Yes! Personal liberty is a small price to pay for overall safety of the US. Like when we interned all those Japanese people during World War II illegally. How manini of all our Japanese neighbors and friends in Hawaii to have been upset and scarred by what our nation did to them. Such immature pippies! They all deserved to be treated like foreign spies, nevermind that none were found guilty of espionage, and they deserved having their homes, livelihoods and families taken from them. And shame on the 442nd Regiment for going to fight for the US! All they were doing was trying to garner fame and glory for themselves and cause people to question the absolute soundness of judgement that the US had in interning their relatives back home!

on August 19,2013 | 10:00AM

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Bdpapawrote:

The internment was a grave injustice to the Japanese in the US. These two clowns are giving away secrets they were entrusted with for a a moment of fame. There is no comparison. The Japanese people were honorable!

on August 19,2013 | 10:14AM

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livinginhawaiiwrote:

Don't forget those of German origin who lost their homes and were detained at the Sand Island facility.

on August 19,2013 | 10:31AM

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ellinaskyrtwrote:

Though you may not have heard him, Glenn Greenwald is an award-winning journalist and highly regarded civil rights lawyer. He was already famous and your claim falls flat, given the facts.

But let's say what you say is true: that Greenwald reported the illegal NSA surveillance just for his personal gain. Greenwald is not suspected of terrorism or any other crime by the US or any country. Please explain why it was legal for the UK to hold Greenwald's partner -- not Greenwald himself - under a terrorism law for nine hours--far longer than most, who are held for shorter than an hour.

on August 19,2013 | 11:57AM

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aomohoawrote:

Good comment!

on August 19,2013 | 04:49PM

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ss029wrote:

Agree!

on August 19,2013 | 09:53AM

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aomohoawrote:

You are brainwashed!

on August 19,2013 | 04:48PM

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aomohoawrote:

You need to watch the Documentary "Secrecy."

on August 19,2013 | 06:08PM

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aomohoawrote:

Be careful. The government doesn't want the truth to come out!!!

on August 19,2013 | 09:07AM

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Bdpapawrote:

Never did! Well, at least not the whole truth.

on August 19,2013 | 10:15AM

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aomohoawrote:

So you do get it!

on August 19,2013 | 04:50PM

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gobowswrote:

if the government wanted to, they could make these guys disappear

on August 19,2013 | 09:21AM

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aomohoawrote:

They could make any of disappear. Beware!

on August 19,2013 | 09:26AM

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Skylerwrote:

"Promises retaliation"? That sounds like a threat to me. Good luck with that, Mr. Greenwald - you'll need it.

on August 19,2013 | 10:42AM

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environmental_ladywrote:

Least they can do is read Mr. Miranda his Minrada rights. He sure has the right name.